Public participation was the driving force behind the design and residents submitted suggestions and ideas to help with the final outcome.

Superkilen Park is a long 1km urban space in the Nørrebro neighborhood on the northwest side of the Copenhagen, and was designed by BIG, Topotek1, and Superflex. The park features 3 distinct areas: the bright ‘Red Square’, the manicured ‘Black Square’ and the large and leisurely ‘Green Lawn’. Bike lanes meander throughout the park, and there are places for basketball and football games, cultural activities, playgrounds, picnics, socializing and relaxing.

The goal of the project was to create a unifying space for a very diverse neighborhood. Rather than try to make the space Danish or cater to satisfy the needs of specific groups, the design team decided to reference every group represented. Public participation was the driving force behind the design, and residents submitted suggestions and ideas to help with the final outcome. Objects that reflect or represent certain countries stand proudly within the park. For example, the park includes a fountain made with Moroccan tiles, Chinese palms, swings from Baghdad, neon signs from Qatar and Russia, Parisian manhole covers, and much more. Superflex even organized groups of people to travel home to their native countries to source items to be included in the park.

BIG, Superflex and Topotek1 won the award to design the park in 2011, and it was recently completed for 13.4 million Euro by way of the city of Copenhagen and the Realdania Foundation. The hope is that the new urban space will forge a global identity, bring people together, and help revitalize the neighborhood. See more pictures via BIG and Topotek1.